The Purge

As cybernetic and genetic technology advanced, the human race began a slow but stead divergence into multiple ‘post-human’ groups. The pace of the technology and alterations steadily increased over the years, creating larger and larger numbers of psychics or Psi-Lines, genetically altered or Gene-Lines, and technologically altered or Tech-Line individuals. These changes, combined with a slow but general acceptance of ‘post-human’ individuals continued widening the gulf between groups, but never truly allowed them to diverge into separate species.

When T.R.I.P. televised the first total DNA reconstruction of ‘Mary’ in 2250, it opened the floodgates for all manner of changes to the status quo. For the first time in history, people could biologically become whoever, or whatever, they wanted to be. From that point forward, the pace of the species divergence increased geometrically. Overnight there was an explosion of psychics, elves, dwarves, satyrs, and every other imaginable creature. For the most part, these changes were not detrimental to breeding but as people continued to go to extremes, some incompatibility began to creep into the genome, further copartmentalizing the sub-species of the human race.

This rampant alteration of genetics and use of cybernetic technology had another issue that, even more than diverging genetic pools, was causing real trouble for The Conglomerate; the loss or alteration of set identities. Using these technologies a person could, quite quickly, disappear. The ability to completely alter, or even discard, one’s identity and genetic markers created an increasingly anarchistic environment, making it difficult for law enforcement to do its job and for The Conglomerate to keep track of its citizenry.

In late 2540 the Conglomerate struck its first major, tyrranical blow to the people of the Sol System. In order to quash the continued disregard for law and order (as they saw it), The Conglomerate ordered all citizens to present themselves for DNA and Cybernetic evaluation and cataloging. New identities were established and documented for everyone, as well as the implantation of near field biometric microchips that allowed for the easy establishement of a person’s identity and capabilities. Expecting instant compliance with its demands, The Conglomerate used military force to enact the new requirements, pulling citizens from their homes and places of business for cataloging and leaving the window open for less than a month. Those who were not identified, scanned, and tagged in that timeframe were then branded as dissident traitors and treated as such, with all rights and privlidges of citizenship completely revoked.

This event,called The Purge by nearly everyone, caused the expulsion of millions of people from Conglomerate facilities. It took years for these individuals to eventually coalesce into a more or less cohesive population within the Asteroid Belt, eventually forming an actual community that came to be known as the Dregs.

Once The Purge was completed, the Conglomerate instituted a policy of zero tolerance for citizens who fail to immidiately report any genetic or cybernetic alterations, or the emergence of any form of undocumented psionic abilities. Failure to report and update personal records results in a minimum centence of permanent revocation of Conglomerate citizenship, or a maximum snetence of execution, depending upon the nature of the unreported alterations.